Game board



F. W.v POPP AND S. B. CLARK.

GAME BOARD. 1,426,599.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, [92h PatentedAug. 22, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I F. W-. POP? AND S. B. CLARK.

' GAME B-OARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. IO, 192i 4 1,426,599, PatentedAu. 2, 1922:

3 SHE HEE I wwm F. W. POPP AND S. B. CLARK.

GAME BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I0, 192!- 1,426,599, Patentd Aug. 22, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1O ranged crown portion, the edges of said arr:

FRED W. PO??? AND SAMUEL B. CLARK, 0F VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA. l

GAME BOARD.

To all whom z't may concern. 1

Be it known that W6,L,FRED W. Porr and SAMUEL B. CLARK, citizens of the United States, residing at Vallejo, in the county of Solano and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Boards, or which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to game boards, and it comprises a board having a centrally arcrown portion being horizontal. and provided with a groove extending substantially to the adjacent m eetingedges, inclined surfaces arranged beyond said groove, a plurality of openings arranged in said surfaces, collecting troughs arranged beneath said openings, and means for propelling a sphere over said board.

In the present invention, we havepro vided a baseball game board, in which marbles are employed to represent the base runners, and means are provided for propelling'the marbles over the board. ."The

rules of baseball in regard to put-outs and run scoring apply to the game, and a plurality of openings are provided on the surface of the board representing the different players in the field. When a" marble falls through one of these openings, it represents a put-out for the team in the field, and three outs represent an inning, as in the game of baseball. 7 A'home plate opening is provided, and a marble passing through this opening represents a run for the team at bat.

The surface of the board adjacent the periphery isinclined inwardly, and a een trally arranged crown-shaped portion representing the baseball diamond is provided.

The outer surface isalso inclined betweenv each pair of bases, with the high points arcomes, to rest at a point adjacent onev of the corners of the diamond, it is'in position to oepropelled around the bases. If, instead of coming to 'rest on the surface ofthe board, it drops through one of the openings,-

it represents a put-out,

Specification of Letters Eatent. Pgfigfitgfi I Application filed March 10, 1921 Serial No. 451,226.

In the accompanying drawings, we have mechanism,

shown one embodimentof the invention, In

Figure 4- is a transverse vertical section al view online tof'Figurel,

higure similar view on line 5-5 of Figure l,

Figure '6 is a transverse 'vertical sectional view on line 6 6 of Figure 1, V v

Figure 7 is a detailsectional view on line 7 7 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the propelling mechanism, and,

'F1 @ure 9 is a similar view of marble; I v I Referring to the.clrawings, the reference the sphere or numeral lfdesignatesa pair of diagonally a ranged; supporting members which, as shown, are channel shaped in cross-section.

The outside-frame is supported in recesses 2, formed on the endsot thediagonal sup-* porting members. As shown, the frame comprises a pairof members 3 aud t. The top of the game board is aclapted'tobe arranged between these 111embers,kand the side members are properly shaped to receivethe top otthe board. he shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the bottom member 3 'is" en'- larged near the center'o'f each side, as at 6, and thetop member 4 iscorrespondingly recessed. v V I The board 5 comprises a raised centerportion or crown 8, resembling a baseball diamond, the crown being provided with a plushowing the propelling rality of flat grooves 9,extending outwardly from the center to each corner. Tlieportion oil the board outside the crownextends up wardly toward the edge, as at 10, whereby grooves 11 are provided on the four sides of the crown, communicating with the grooves,

9, extending from the centerof the crown.

The portion 10 of the board is further in clinedlongitudinally to provide a high por tion 12, intermediate the ends. Adjacent each corner of the board, the outer space'is fiat,'as at 13 (see Figures5 and 6). The longitudinal incline from the point 12)terminates at a point slightly removed from the,

corner, as shown in F1 ure 2 of the" draw ings, and. as the edge 0 the beard islin the sameplane with the outer end of the groove catchers position.

9, there is no incline transversely of the board. The side pieces l are provided with cut-out portions to provide recesses 14, ar-' ranged in the corners of the board. In one of these corners, an opening 15 is provided withsuitable indicia', as at 16, to indicate the catchers position. Diagonally in aline ment with this opening is a second opening 17, arranged at the end of the groove to indicate the 'pitcher.s position. as shown, the pitchers box is indicated at 18, near the center of the diamond,.but the opening 17 is provided to permit the pitcher to score putouts. Clhe other three corners are provided with openin'gs 19, arranged in a position corresponding to the opening 17, and are provided with indicia to indicate first base, second base, and third base. respectively. The recesses 14 are provided with openings 20, 21, and 22, representing the right fielder, center fielder, and left fielder, respectively.

T he flattened portions 13 of: the board are provided with slots E23,arrangedbetween the pair of openings in each of thefiattened portions. A propelling device comprisingt'our arms 24 is pivotally mounted in the supportingmembers 1 and 2 beneath theboard,as at and this member is provided with arms 26, projecting through the slots 2c- Anoperating member 27 is connected to the propelling member, as at 28, and is provided with an operating lever 29, projecting be yond the, edge of the board adjacent the This arm is pivoted in one oi the side members, as at 30.

The surface of the board is further pro-' vided with suitable indicia, as at 31, to indicate the positlon of the short-stop between the second baseand third base. The surface of the board may be provided with ad ditionalraised portions 32 to vary the course ofthe sphere or marble. A home plate opening 33 is provided at the juncture of the inclined surface 10, between the third base andthecatchers position and the fiattened surface 13 in which the catchers position is located. Beneath the board, a trough 34L is provided to receive marbles passing through the opening and convey them to the outside of the-board.

V'A r "anged beneath the surface of the board are aplurality of troughs to convey the spheres passing through the openings to a p nt of deliveryv adjacent the catchers p0- si on. As shown, a trough ais arranged diagonally of the board extending from a point below the openings 19 and 21 to the other side 'tthe ,boardbeneath the openings fiend/'17 Thet'rough is inclined to convey positibn andcornmunicates with the opening 3(jjinfone of the side pieces to. permit the spheres to pass out) A pair of troughs 37 arearranizjed at right anglcsto the trough 35," beneath the openings 19 and 20, at one Jpheres to the endbeneath the catchers:

side of the board, and the openings 19 and 22. at the other side of the board. These troughs are inclined toward the center of the board and are adapted. to discharge the spheres into the trough 35.

In Figure 9 of the drawings, one of the spheres or marbles 38 is shown. A suitable number of these spheres are provided to per-. mit the game to be playedand abatter provided at all times,'regardless oi the number o'l" men on the bases.-

In operation, a sphere is placed in front oi the arm 26, arranged adjacent the catchers position and the operating lever 29 is swung on its pivot to operate the propelling mechanism and drive the sphere. Due to the inclines the sphere will eventually settie in one of the flattened portions 13. If a sphere driven from the catchers position acquires sulficient momentum to travel up the incline between the first base and second base, it will either pass over this incline and travel toward the flattened portions 13 at second base, or if its momentum is insufficient, to reach the top of the incline, it w1ll return to the first base. The length of the slot 23 and the distance between it and the pair of openings arranged in each flattened portion is such that the sphere willeither pass throughone of the openingsindicating pit-outer wi l come to rest at a point where it may beengaged by the arm 26 vhen the 'nopcllingmember is operated. When the propellingmember is operated, all of the arms 26 will move simultaneously and any spheres on thelboard will be struck by the aims. The groove 11 serves to preventthe spheres n-Oni' riding upon the center or crown portiorrot' the board, but it the sphere should travel on the crownportion of the board, it is unableto remain there, as the crown. portion is inclined all directions from the, center. The grooves 9 further serve to return thespheresto the flattened portions 13 where they Will either come to rest within the range of the arm 26 or pass through one of the openings in the board.

Ifinynumber of additional inclines 32 may be provided tovary the usualc'ourse ofthe game. It will be apparent thatskill will b ejrequirel to drive a marble or sphere aroundjthe; board. without entering one of theput-out openings. Due to the position ol thehome plate. opening 33, it will be further apparent that under different conditions, a ditlerent'torce shouldv be applied to the operating lever 29 by a skillfuloporator. It a runnenison third base, 1t is more desirable to have him score than to have the batter reach first base, and the operator will govern his action accordingly.

it is to be understood that the form of our inventi on herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape,

RPS

size, and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing iii-om the spirit.

of our invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

claim:

1. l-i. base ball game board comprising a suhstantiall i rectangular portion formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces and a surrounding portion formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces, said board being provided With a )air of o'ieniiias arranzedadacent l l a a .i

each corner of the rectangular portion, the spares between saidg airs oij' op nn's being level to permit a sphere to remain thereon in a state of rest, and propelling devices adapted to siinultaneousl v engage spheres located on said level portions.

2. A game board comprising substan' tially rectangular portion formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces and a surrounding portion formed of a plurality'o'f inclined siiiut'ac-es said board beingv provided with a pair of openings adjacent each-corner of the rectangular portion, the space l3etral. portion substantially rectangular inv shape, a surrounding section comprising a plurality of inclined portions, said inclined portions being connected to each other flattened portions, said flattened portions being provided with pairs of openings, and

Having thus described our invention, we

apropelling device arranged adjacent each pair of openings. l

t 4. A game board comprising araised cen tra-l portion substantially rectangular 1n shape, a surrounding section comprising a.

plurality of inclined portions vand flattened pellin device arrana'ed ad'acent each air n 2:: v o

oi openings, and common operating ineans for said propelling devices. '5. A. board comprising a] raised central portion substantially rectangular in ortioiis, each of said'flattened portions be nip; provided with a pair of openings, a proshape, a surroundingsection comprisinga plurality of inclined portions and flattened POFtlOIlS said flattened portions being pro .vided with pairs of openings, a propelling device arranged adjacent each'pair of openmgs, and a collectingtrough arranged beneath said boardin alinement with said openings. v v

6. A] game board comprising a raised central portion substantially rectangular in shape, a surrounding section comprising) a plurality of inclined portionsaiid flattened portions each or" saidfflattened portions being provided with a, plurality ofopenings', a propelling device arranged on eachof said flattened portions, common operating means for said propelling devices and collecting troughs arranged: belowsaid openin gs. lntestimon'y whereof weafiix our'signa tures inpresence of two witnesses. 1

" FRED W. POPP.

S. B. =GLARK.

Witnesses no. A. BROWNE, QAARCELLUS BELL. 

